1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention provides an adjustable housing assembly for mounting to a wall, and more specifically to an adjustable housing assembly having a front plate that is removable and that is adjustable between intermediate positions for accommodating various thicknesses of building material on the wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art housing assemblies are known to those skilled in the art for mounting to a wall. These assemblies include a back plate, a front plate, and a connector connecting the back and the front plate. The housing assemblies are typically used for electrical outlets, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, decorative assemblies, and the like. The connector establishes various distances between the plates to accommodate different building materials disposed on the wall.
One such assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,935 for a gable vent. The gable vent has a mounting ring positioned over an opening in a wall having siding thereon. A cover member mates with the mounting ring and is adjustable to accommodate different thicknesses of siding. The mounting ring has a plurality of grooves that are axially spaced for engaging shoulder portions of the cover member. The distances between the cover member and the mounting ring are established depending upon which groove the shoulder portion engages. In operation, the cover member is aligned with the mounting ring and a force perpendicular to the cover member is applied to engage the shoulder portions with the grooves. The distances between the cover member and the mounting ring are limited to the distances between the grooves in the mounting ring. Additionally, in order to remove and/or change the cover member, the siding is removed to gain access to the grooves to disengage the shoulder portions.
Another assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,431 and discloses a base member and a cover member having inter-engaging portions that permit the cover member to be adjustably spaced from the base member to accommodate sidings of various thickness. The inter-engaging portions include notches or recesses in the base member and shoulder portions in the cover member. Typically there are multiple notches axially spaced for receiving the shoulder portions. The cover member is aligned with the base member and a force perpendicular to the cover member is applied to force the shoulder portions into the desired notch or recess depending upon the thickness of the building material.